Thermal lens signals in solutions of rhodamine B laser dye in methanol are
measured using the dual beam pump-probe technique. The nature of variations of signal
strength with concentration is found to be different for 514 and 488 nm Ar + laser excitations.
However, both the pump wavelengths produce an oscillatory type variation of thermal lens
signal amplitude with the concentration of the dye solution. Probable reasons for this peculiar
behaviour (which is absent in the case of fluorescent intensity) are mentioned.

A simple method based on laser beam deflection to study the variation of diffusion
coefficient with concentration in a solution is presented. When a properly fanned out laser
beam is passed through a rectangular cell filled with solution having concentration gradient,
the emergent beam traces out a curved pattern on a screen. By taking measurements on the
pattern at different concentrations, the variation of diffusion coefficient with concentration can
be determined.

Plasma generated by fundamental radiation from a Nd:YAG laser focused onto a graphite target is studied spectroscopically. Measured line profiles of several ionic species were used to infer electron temperature and density at several sections located in front of the target surface. Line intensities of successive ionization states of carbon were used for electron temperature calculations. Stark broadened profiles of singly ionized species have been utilized for electron density measurements. Electron density as well as electron temperature were studied as functions of laser irradiance and time elapsed after the incidence of laser pulse. The validity of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium is discussed in light of the results obtained.

The emission features of laser ablated graphite plume generated in a helium ambient atmosphere have been investigated with time and space resolved plasma diagnostic technique. Time resolved optical emission spectroscopy is employed to reveal the velocity distribution of different species ejected during ablation. At lower values of laser fluences only a slowly propagating component of C2 is seen. At high fluences emission from C2 shows a twin peak distribution in time. The formation of an emission peak with diminished time delay giving an energetic peak at higher laser fluences is attributed to many body recombination. It is also observed that these double peaks get modified into triple peak time of flight distribution at distances greater than 16 mm from the target. The occurrence of multiple peaks in the C2 emission is mainly due to the delays caused from the different formation mechanism of C2 species. The velocity distribution of the faster peak exhibits an oscillating character with distance from the target surface.

Time resolved optical emission spectroscopy is employed to study the expansion
dynamics of C2 species in a graphite plasma produced during the Nd : YAG ablation. At low laser
fluences a single peak distribution with low kinetic energy is observed. At higher fluences a twin
peak distribution is found. It has been noted that these double peak time of flight distribution splits
into a triple peak structure at distances >_ 17mm from the target surface. The reason for the
occurrence of multiple peak is due to different formation mechanisms of C2 species

The laser produced plasma from the multi-component target YBa2CU3O7 was analyzed using Michelson interferometry and time resolved emission spectroscopy. The interaction of 10 ns pulses of 1.06 mum radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at laser power densities ranging from 0.55 GW cm-2 to 1.5 GW cm-2 has been studied. Time resolved spectral measurements of the plasma evolution show distinct features at different points in its temporal history. For a time duration of less than 55 ns after the laser pulse (for a typical laser power density of 0.8 GW cm-2, the emission spectrum is dominated by black-body radiation. During cooling after 55 ns the spectral emission consists mainly of neutral and ionic species. Line averaged electron densities were deduced from interferometric line intensity measurements at various laser power densities. Plasma electron densities are of the order of 1017 cm-3 and the plasma temperature at the core region is about 1 eV. The measurement of plasma emission line intensities of various ions inside the plasma gave evidence of multiphoton ionization of the elements constituting the target at low laser power densities. At higher laser power densities the ionization mechanism is collision dominated. For elements such as nitrogen present outside the target, ionization is due to collisions only.

The dual-beam thermal lens technique has been found to be very
effective for the measurement of fluorescence quantum yields of dye solutions. The
concentration-dependence of the quantum yield of rhodamine B in methanol is
studied here using this technique. The observed results are in line with the
conclusion that the reduction in the quantum yield in the quenching region is
essentially due to the non-radiative relaxation of the absorbed energy. The thermal
lens has been found to become abberated above 40 mW of pump laser power.
This low value for the upper limit of pump power is due to the fact that the medium
is a resonantly absorbing one.

Pulsed photoacoustic measurements have been carried out in toluene at 532 nm
wavelength using a Q-switched frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser. The variation of photoacoustic
signal amplitude with incident laser power indicates that at lower laser powers one
photon absorption takes place at this wavelength while a clear two photon absorption occurs in
this liquid at higher laser powers. The studies made here demonstrate that pulsed photoacoustic
technique is simple and effective for the investigation of multiphoton processes in
liquids.

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Time and space resolved spectroscopic studies of the molecular band
emission from C2 are performed in the plasma produced by irradiating a graphite
target with 1:06 m radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. High-resolution
spectra are recorded from points located at distances up to 15 mm from the target
in the presence of ambient helium gas pressure. Depending on the laser
irradiance, time of observation and position of the sampled volume of the plasma
the features of the emission spectrum are found to change drastically. The
vibrational temperature and population distribution in the different vibrational levels
of C2 molecules have been evaluated as a function of distance for different time
delays and laser irradiance. It is also found that the vibrational temperature of C2
molecules decreases with increasing helium pressure.

Laser ablation of graphite has been carried out using 1.06mm radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG
laser and the time of flight distribution of molecular C2 present in the resultant plasma is
investigated in terms of distance from the target as well as laser fluences employing time resolved
spectroscopic technique. At low laser fluences the intensities of the emission lines from C2 exhibit
only single peak structure while beyond a threshold laser fluence, emission from C2 shows a twin
peak distribution in time. The occurrence of the faster velocity component at higher laser fluences
is explained as due to species generated from recombination processes while the delayed peak is
attributed to dissociation of higher carbon clusters resulting in the generation of C2 molecule.
Analysis of measured data provides a fairly complete picture of the evolution and dynamics of
C2 species in the laser induced plasma from graphite.

We report time resolved study of C2 emission from laser produced carbon plasma in presence of ambient helium
gas. The 1.06µm: radiation from a Nd:YAG laser was focused onto a graphite target where it·produced a transient
plasma. We observed double peak structure in the time profile of C2 species. The twin peaks were observed only
after a threshold laser fluence. It is proposed that the faster velocity component in the temporal profiles originates
mainly due to recombination processes. The laser fluence and ambient gas dependence of the double peak intensity
distribution is also reported.

Time and space resolved studies of emission from CN molecules have been carried out in the plasma produced from
graphite target by 1.06 urn pulses from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Depending on the laser pulse energy, time of
observation and position of the sampled volume of the plasma, the features of the emission spectrum are found to
change drastically. The vibrational temperature and population distribution in the different vibrational levels have
been studied as functions of distance, time, laser energy and ambient gas pressure. Evidence for nonlinear effects of
the plasma medium such as self focusing which exhibits threshold-like behaviour are also obtained. Temperature and
electron density of the plasma have been evaluated using the relative line intensities of successive ionization stages of
carbon atom. These electron density measurements are verified by using Stark broadening method.